Marshmallow gripped the Supernova Titan Hammer tightly. The dark flames surrounding the hilt projected crimson glows onto his face, and the fire core at the center of the weapon burned with intensity, almost as if it were alive.

"Let's see what this new evolution of the Titan Hammer is capable of," he murmured in a raspy voice as he lifted the weapon skyward into the dark crypt.

The Goat Horse stared at him with eyes wide. "M-Marshmallow, what are you doing?"

Marshmallow did not answer. Instead, he closed his eyes and concentrated, letting the energy of the Supernova Titan Hammer flow through him.

Inhale. Exhale. Marshmallow followed the slow flow of his breath, feeling the flames rise through his body with each inhalation. He could feel them swirling through his veins, heating him from the inside out like a furnace. The fire core of the Supernova Titan Hammer suddenly swelled, and red light illuminated every corner of the room.

"For Ezechiel's sake..." the Goat Horse whispered, stunned by the incredible display of power he was witnessing.

Marshmallow began to spin on itself, moving faster and faster as tongues of fire swirled around the Supernova Titan Hammer. Flames branched out from the core, creating fiery tentacles that swirled with increasing fury.

The two corrupted giants stood motionless as they watched the incredible fire vortex form around Marshmallow. Their expressions did not change, but their rigid bodies moved in a kind of reverent awe.

Marshmallow roared, and a sound of primal rage seemed to shake the very foundations of this dark place. The vortex of flame continued to expand, engulfing the surrounding rubble and corpses in its heat.

Marshmallow began to direct the fiery vortex toward his enemies with superhuman effort. The flames stretched toward the giants in their mad dance, lapping at their worn armor and rubbing at their bruised claws.

The two monsters did not attempt to flee or defend themselves. They stood motionless, almost mesmerized by the chasms of red fire swirling around them. Perhaps they had accepted their fate.

The tongues of fire tightened around their bodies, enveloping them completely like a second glowing skin. The roar of the flames overwhelmed every other sound, turning into a murderous hiss. The Goat Horse retreated. He narrowed his eyes to shield himself from the blinding intensity of the flames but continued to watch with a mixture of horror and admiration.

The flames suddenly contracted around the two corrupted giants, compressing into an enveloping mass of blazing, searing fire. The rigid bodies inside began to writhe and their rotting flesh sizzled as they began to burn alive.

Marshmallow maintained control with unwavering determination, forcing the flames to grip tighter and tighter. Mighty bursts of heat hit his face, which was dripping with sweat, but Marshmallow did not falter in the slightest.

The inarticulate cries of the two giants were drowned out by a raucous roar as their armor began to melt. The Goat Horse instinctively threw himself to the ground, shaking violently as the agonizing cries of the tormenting monsters pierced his eardrums.

"DIE!" Marshmallow roared with a deadly burst of flame, finally swinging the Supernova Titan Hammer in a devastating arc.

The tongues of fire deflagrated in a final, overwhelming conflagration, completely disintegrating the remains of the corrupted giants. Ash and slag splashed through the air, disintegrating in a fine rain of bloody limbs and shards of armor.

A moment later, the maelstrom of fire collapsed, and the flames dissipated with a final ghostly gasp. Marshmallow faltered; his heroics had exhausted him. His knees buckled, and he fell to the ground with a thud, the Supernova Titan Hammer rolling from his hands.

"M-Marshmallow!" The Goat Horse leaped forward to catch up to his companion, his eyes wide with concern. "Are you all right? Answer me!"

Marshmallow raised a shaking hand, gasping as he tried to catch his breath. There was a proud grin on his face.

The suffocating silence that followed the destruction of the two corrupt giants was short-lived. Out of the total darkness beyond the banks of rubble, new eerie shapes began to move, darting through the shadows with unnatural movements.

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" W-What's that?" The Goat Horse winced, eyes widened in almost atavistic terror. His nostrils quivered as he took in the foul stench of the approaching slimy presence.

At first, they appeared to be nothing more than evil shadows dancing around the edge of the crypt. But they soon took on a more tangible substance, revealing themselves to be surrounded by rows of chitinous legs and tentacles. A sound as subtle and high-pitched as the insistent whisper of hundreds of voices began to fill the air like buzzing insects. But as those shapes emerged from the shadows, the buzzing grew into a cacophonous mix of hissing and mad whispering.

"What the... hell... are...?" Marshmallow muttered as he struggled to his feet and tried to focus on the visions.

An icy shiver ran down Marshmallow's spine as the whispers in the crypt broke through the barrier of his eardrums and insinuated themselves into his own mind. They were not mere sounds, but creeping, sinister words that tickled his brain.

M̸̲͖͕̈͒́̑ẻ̵̝ļ̶̼̭̦͌͂́͌̾ͅt̷͎͖͕̉ ̴̨͉̣͝͝ẗ̸̘̻́̐͜ḫ̸̳̳̬̅̏̓̀̈e̵̒͜ ̷̖͇̹̮͂̏̂͐͜b̷̬̻́̈́̋́̅ͅơ̵̢̛̻̞̹͑̓̏n̴͍̪͇̩͖͛̃͝e̴̳̜͉͙͠s̷͎̙͖͉̦̈́.̴̛̪̤̆̑.̴̟̼͐̕.̴̫͎̬̱̔ ̵̰̺̰̓͐T̴̯̫̚r̸̡̳̾͊̐o̴̮̝̔̂ư̵̢̱̖͔̘͑̅̀̚b̶̢̛̦͉̠̈́ḻ̶̱̥͓͂̇̈́̾ē̵̱̠̿͐-̷̝͙̩̅̐̉̕m̸̩͕͔͕̏̍a̸̼̿͐k̴̲͎͆͐e̷̳̰̖͋̅̕͠ŗ̷͈̝̝͈̒s̸̲̙͉̐̇ ̸͕̼̙̃̓͆a̸̘͙͔̱͆̿̋m̷̛̥̲͔̫̙̈́͌̃̀o̵̢̫͑̆̏ṋ̸̖̫͙͆̾g̴̫͔̗̎́͝ ̶̬̣̉̽̓̓t̵̟̝̻̪̽̐̌̋h̷̦͈́͂̈́͒̇e̸͚̙͓̯̗̿ ̶̫̍̋̓̊̈́w̷̨̬̟̳͛̇ͅó̴̹̓͒̅r̵̳̗̱̤̦̆̎̀̋̈́l̷͕̳̠͖̋͑d̶̞̦̅'̵̭̟̥̲̅ş̵̧͈̳̒̀͜ ̶͓́́t̸̜̗̀͋͝h̵̝̬̠͗r̸͚͔͂̇͛̃̈́ö̶̢̯́̕á̵͚̩̍̿̈̌ͅt̴̡̛̺̊s̵̡̹̦̰̓̉̅͂.̶͍̳̎.̵̧͈̥͚͐̉̄̕͜.̶̢̲̰͖͋̓̇͠ ̷̢̳̜͕̙̑͊P̸͍̯͉̝̱̽̿i̶̙͚̥̘̻̿͛͐͒ȩ̶̘̘̈́͊̔ṙ̴͍͍́̂͘ͅc̷̞͒̀̈̃͜͠e̷͈̿́́̆d̸̜̍̒͘ ̴̞̙̕f̷̢̜̭̭̂͑i̵̛̪̽́̄l̵̛̲̟̱̮̒͌͜ȁ̶̧̻͖̹̂͆͠m̴̡̏͒e̵̤̎͌́͐n̷̪̅̔̅̿t̶̟̪̠̣͆͌͛̐͛s̴͇̗̟̅͆,̵̥̺̹͕͛ ̴̛̞̬̮̾͂c̴̱̘̏̄͛͛͜ḛ̷͔̭̼́̽n̷̛̖̼̆̆͘͝ṯ̶̼̈̀͝ͅr̸̢̯̦̘̪̄̀͋ė̷̢̲̺̯͜ ̶͓̠͆͋̃ơ̷̝͇̺̹̏͘͝f̴̟̣̖̎ ̶̹̹̱̫͇͌̐͑d̵͓̾̃̀̇͒e̷̖̱̬̓̿̐̚g̴̹̩̀̆̄ͅḛ̶̬̉̎̽͝ņ̷̬͖͈̣͊̀ę̷̤́̏͋r̵̢͔̺̼͛̅́̅ä̷͖̱̟́t̵͈͋̅̈̃͝i̸̬̠̞̱̓͒̍o̸̡̲͚̺̅͆͒̔n̸̛̪͇̰̮͊̈́̓̃͜ŝ̶͖̗̣̎̾͠.̸͔̭̽͒̏͌̀.̴̧̛̦̹͍̥̿̊̓͘.̸̱͎̞͖̊̾͗͊

"A-Ahhh!" Marshmallow winced as he raised his hands to his head. The senseless words seemed to take shape in swirling images of blood and torn flesh. He tried to fight it, but he could not shake the horrible feeling.

"Marshmallow!" The Goat Horse immediately noticed his convulsions as he slipped into madness. "What's happening to you?"

But Marshmallow could not answer. He could only moan as his consciousness seemed to be under violent siege, those voices of darkness pulsing and pounding louder and louder in his head.

Ś̷̢̻̱͚̝̬͑͐̈́͐l̷̻͇̻͇̲̹̾͋́ą̵̻͈̣̜̙̬̠̄̚ų̴̨̦̜̻̟̬̆͠ͅg̷͔̯̜̠̑͜ḧ̵̨̢̠̯͈͙́t̵̝̟̻̟̙̭̂͆̋͘͜e̸͓̥̓́͑̃̚͘̚ͅr̴̘͔͍̫͈͈͖̺̊͐̌̈́ ̷̧̮̟͇̝͍͎̬̊̈́̓̈́̊̾̑̉s̷̤̜̰̖̪̾̑͌̇̋̉͝͝ơ̷̗͕͎͈̠̟̗̠͛̊ņ̵̟̖̙̺̈́͂ģ̶̨̾̈́͘s̴͍̠̀̈.̸̮͈́͂̐͛.̷͙̓̆̌͝.̴̙́̔̐͌̿̌̀̅ ̶̧͕̲͌̇̿͐͂̈͆͘E̸̤̼̥̜̤̪̊̌n̷͚̘̫͌̈́́͜͝ṷ̴̈̇̿͜c̵̜̜͇̬͗̎̃̽͛̉͠l̶̻͕̬̑̉̃͑͜e̴̠̝̳͜͝à̴̜͇͂̍̅̎͒̇̚t̷̳͂i̵̡̧̧̹͔͕͒̌̑͑͠o̵̯̗͚̅́̋͌͋̀ń̴̞̖̱̫͔s̸̢̫͓̯̆̑̒̋̈ ̶̮̮̫͝ͅǫ̴̛̙̱̰̯̑͗͠f̸̬̲̯̬̈́̎̄̍͝͠ ̶̡̈́̿̍s̵̺̙͕̳͔̆l̴̬̲͔̫̗͍͍̍̋̇̃̿̚͠í̶̬̜̠̟̬m̷̛̩̹̘̯̈́̾̋̚é̷̝̖̘̹̒͌.̴͍̼̞̜͒̌́̎.̵̤͑̏́̈́̏̕.̶̡͖̟̤̲̖̦̹̊̐̎͑ ̵̺̃̄̀͗́͌͝Č̸͙̲̈́͋͘͜͝ơ̶̘̯n̸̡̪͙̝̏̑́̈́͝ǧ̶͍̗͓̝͔͂̆̈̈́͝ͅͅe̶̺̗͍̺͖͉̗͕̒̾̈́̈́̓͝͝n̸̨̢̺̻͙̤̓͝i̷̦̣̖͖͒́t̸̠̾̀̈́̂͊̅͘à̶̢l̶̩͈͖͕̆́͐͂̈́ ̶͎̹̭͍̭̫͚͛͆͐͐m̶̫̣̝̃̽͛̀̚ǫ̸͖̬͎͖͎̱̙͐̎͌t̷̫̲̞̺̉̓͂̊̍͋̋͒ḩ̵̼͙̪̗͙̎͌̓̎̀͑̕͠ȅ̶̘̄̈̒̽̆͂ṛ̴͙̻̟̞̐̊s̷̳̞̖̻͙̽̓̈̿́̀͑͗ ̸͕̻͖̤̩̠͍͕̒̿̏̓̊̕o̵̫͉͉͖̣̯͔͑͑͐̆̉̊͝f̵̡̱̼͈̠̫̠͔͐̈́̾̈̈́̊ ̵̘͕̪̟̹̐̌̍͑͆͘V̶̗͙̟͖̼̯̱̈́̈́̏͑͑̐̕ḭ̵͇̳̳͛͜ͅc̴̊̆̆̔̈ͅt̶͛̀͑͛̒͛̂͜͠i̵̲̥͗̃͐̇.̵̢̛̬̰̫̞͗̉̑̔́͜.̵̧̺͎́̋.̴̡̢̢̬̲͖͚̈́̎̎̉̈́̈́̊

The Goat Horse gasped as his goat legs slipped into a pool of pitch-black liquid. Lowering his gaze, he saw to his horror that it was a very black slurry that was overflowing from cracks in the ground below.

"No...no, no..." His eyes swept frantically through the seething mud, only to find more of the same all around. Everywhere, the crypt was filled with foul sewage that looked like the remnants of something far worse. "We can't stay here!"

Marshmallow's screams grew louder as tentacles began to crawl down his legs. He gasped and kicked in his growing madness, completely overwhelmed by these demonic influences.

"Hang on, Marsh! I've got to get you out of here!" The Goat Horse charged forward, splashing through the black puddles and clinging to the body of his crazed comrade. "Don't let him overpower you!"

But bringing Marshmallow back to reality seemed impossible. As the warrior writhed, possessed by the voices, his limbs swelled into a deformed shape, as if his very physical being was mutating.

Suddenly, the ground around him seemed to crumble, revealing other unspeakable silhouettes. They were eldritch creatures. They took final form in all their menacing, sprawling aberration: blackish, viscid slime, twisted features of bone, and writhing filaments full of small legs and pulsating suckers.

Their gazes had no pupils, only blind cavities in which gleams of pure cosmic frost shone. And from their decaying bodies, sewage, their primordial substance, flowed in jets.

As more and more obscene beings arose, the stench of death and the sensation of madness became unbearable. The stinging voices in Marshmallow's mind doubled in power, plunging him into a new level of loss of control.

G̴̳̊̅͌̚̕r̸̠̫̙̙̥̓̏e̴͇̻̱̱̾̂̅͗̍͜ả̸̗̭̮͉̂̚͠t̶̮͓̦̠͂͋̅̄͂ḛ̴̙̹̠̎ė̷͎̦͕͚͗̑͗͒͜ē̵̤̘̯̫͝ͅ ̵̪̩̹̽̑ͅM̵̮̥̥̲͚̐ó̴̢̨̢̹n̷͔̟̹̲̅́̃͋́ä̴̼͎̦̃̒͆a̸̧͓̓͋̿̕a̷̢̺͍͓̣͒̇͗a̴͓͛̕͠ă̴̞̥͔̓̿å̵̛͚͙͜͜

Delirium washed over him as his bones creaked in an unnatural posture as if trying to re-form themselves into blasphemous shapes.

"Marshmallow! Hold on! Listen to me!" The Goat Horse whinnied in anguish as he kicked and tried to strike him to bring him to his senses. But Marshmallow was too overwhelmed by the presence of these cosmic aberrations, his body twitching in uncontrollable spasms.

"No... I can't let it end like this!" he told himself with a growl of determination. He shook off the sticky slime and took in the whole awesome scene. If Marshmallow turned into one of those monstrosities like the Novgovians, it would indeed be the end.

And in that moment, he understood. It was precisely because of these eerie presences that even Raven had been forced to turn back, unable to deal with them by sheer force. Something more was at stake here, darkness and madness that no weapon could ever scratch.

He had to decide quickly. Either he would find a way to bring Marshmallow back to him, or they would share the same unfortunate fate as the Novgovians.